1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a room air cleaner for use in automobiles which is installed on the rear tray of a car cabin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Room air cleaners for use in automobiles designed to remove the smoke and tobacco odors in car cabins have recently come to be installed in increasing numbers so that it is now common to see an automobile with a room air cleaner installed on the rear tray.
It is well known how to make a room air cleaner for use in automobiles for such purposes having a construction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The room air cleaner shown in these figures has a box-like body comprising a lower housing 1, an upper housing 2, and a cover 3, in which a vertical shaft motor 4 is mounted having a cushion member 5 attached in a substantially encircling relationship to its peripheral flange 4', the cushion member 5 being fitted between projecting ribs 1a and 1b on the lower housing 1 and retained by a rib 7a provided on a partition 7 secured to the lower housing 1 with a screw 6. A suction opening 2b is provided in the top surface 2a of the upper housing 2, while a swirl chamber wall 2c is formed thereunder extending downwardly and joining the partition 7 to form a swirl chamber 8 in which a fan 9 secured to the motor 4 is accommodated. Electrical parts (not shown), etc. are disposed in a space 10 which is formed below a sloping portion 2d extending from the top surface 2a. Ribs 2e and 2f are provided on the top surface 2a and the sloping portion 2d respectively, on which a wire net 111 and a filter 112 is mounted wire net 111 interposed. In the upper housing 2 and the lower housing 1, there are provided a number of inlet openings 2g and 1c and outlet openings 2h and 1d, both communicating with the swirl chamber 8 and respectively disposed upstream and downstream of the swirl chamber 8. The numeral 113 indicates a discharge device which has a discharge electrode 114 and a counter electrode 115 disposed facing each other and which is energized by a high voltage power supply (not shown) for corona discharge.
In the above construction, when the motor 4 is driven, air in the cabin is sucked through the inlet openings 2g and 1c, and relatively large particles of dust contained in the air are removed by a prefilter 116 mounted upstream of the discharge device 113, while fine particles of dust are given positive ions when passing through the discharge device 113 and are electrically attracted to a negatively charged filter 112 disposed further downstream thereof and consisting of a dust collecting filter and a deodorizing filter, particles of odor being caught by the deodorizing filter. As shown by arrows in FIG. 1, the thus cleaned air is passed through the space surrounded by the sloping portion 2d, the top surface 2a, and the filter 112, and is introduced into the swirl chamber 8 through the suction opening 2b before being discharged into the cabin through the outlet openings 2h and 1d.
In the prior art construction described above, the filter 112 is disposed above the suction opening 2b, which not only requires the provision of a space between the filter 112 and the top surface 2a but also makes inefficient use of the space taken by the combined height of the motor 4 and fan 9. Therefore, the overall height of the body is unnecessarily high, reducing the driver's rear view field when the room air cleaner of this construction is mounted on the rear tray of an automobile.